The Post-Gazette reported on the forced resignation two hours ago. The Patriot News reported it 4 minutes ago. Corbett forced the director of public parks in PA to resign last October.

Commentary:

It is far too early to know exactly what happened behind the scenes, of course. But based on Corbett’s history, actions, industry funding sources and general behavior — and based on the timing just one week after the big battleground hearing about the Loyalsock State Forest, which citizens fought for for a year (just to get DCNR to hold the hearing, that is) and packed 500-strong, here’s my gut response:

Corbett fires DCNR Secretary! Wow! First Department of Health Secretary Avila was canned, as soon as he made the barest mention of tracking gas drilling health impacts for Department of Health. Then Secretary Krancer of DEP resigns. Now, the very week after a huge hearing with 500 citizens packed into a steamy room to fight like hell for the Loyalsock State Forest, the DCNR Secretary is sent packing. What, because he was nice enough to sit in a hot room and listen to us for 3 hours???

My theories are:

1. Corbett is a paranoid industry tool who cannot tolerate the barest mention of a hint of a sliver of a suggestion from any Department Secretary that perhaps the people are RIGHT and our health should not be destroyed and our forests should not be fracked.

2. Corbett is a paranoid industry tool who cannot even stand the thought of a department head, like Allen, taking the time and trouble to sit in the same room with hundreds of angry citizens determined to save this wild healthy state forest, the Loyalsock State Forest, a nationally known gem and a passionately prized treasure to all who live nearby, from being fracked.

DCNR Secretary Allen listened to us. He didn’t give an inch, but he listened. Corbett, a non-listener, must reassure himself that as boss, he is the only one being listened to, not the people.

Good assessment, Liz. I would add the word cowardly to that. It makes Corbett even more dangerous, because he is so afraid that people will find out that he’s a scared piece of, uh, nothing. I think he’s beholden to so many evil bastards, that he’s scared to do almost anything to let the public in on it.

He is simply an industry tool — conscious of it and dedicated to the pillaging of Pennsylvania by his backers while he is governor. He has a comfortable retirement lined up for himself already. “Paranoid” has nothing to do with it. He came in looking for a fight, he got it, and he plans to see it through with his own agenda intact whatever the costs.

It’s the public’s job to insure that Corbett’s “second term” is a whole lot longer than his first, and is spent behind bars, WITHOUT his cushy retirement, and WITH the company of industry big shots and top-level Republican “leaders” in the GeneralAssembly who have been part of this rape of Pennsylvania, its people, and of democracy.

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